Added features might be it now support LCD monitor, but well the slow reaction time LCD is never fit for playing shmups anyway.

The others work fine with an LCD, assuming you have the right LCD hooked up to it. Preferably a lower rez one, like a television LCD or just a 15" monitor with 1024x768 for the XRGB-2+. It's a limitation of the LCD's native rez, not the upscale unit.

But, does this mean it'll output more, higher resolutions so you can use bigger LCDs? Now that would be neat. As for response time, it's really a matter of opinion + monitor performance. Of course, it'll never look better than CRT, not arguing that.

Thanks for sharing this news, Valgar. Weird timing, as I had an urge to check Micomsoft's webpage about a week ago (hadn't checked it in ages). Didn't see the XRGB-3 then...now one week later, here. :)

The main additions seem to be the support for progressive scan in/out and DVI output. No need for seperate transcoders. The price is only yen5000 more than the 2+ (keep in mind that is MSRP, street price will be significantly less).

Notable updates include 525i, 525p, 1125i, and 750p support through D4 input, firmware updates through USB port, output via digital RGB (DVI-D) as well as analog RGB (15-pin), full featured remote control, and more.

Yes there is a D-Terminal to component adapter ! It was well hidden so I guess I was misinformed.

I hooked up my gamecube to one of the D-Terminals and a CRT monitor to the VGA output. Quality is fine considering I only get interlaced signal from my cube. I switch from 1024x768 to 1280×1024, picture quality is better. I can see thin lines on some parts of the picture (such as the light around the jet engine exhaust in F-Zero GX). I'm guessing this is due to the interlaced signal. The semi visible diagonal lines I get with RGB scart cables are now gone. Though I don't know if that is because of the higher quality D-Terminal cable or the XRGB-3. OK, everything seems to be in order. Now I hook up my LCD TV using the DVI connection. Picture quality is good on both 1024x768 and 1280×1024. Sadly neither my CRT or LCD TV supports the highest resolution.

Onto the menus. Not knowing any japanese, about 70% of it can be figured out just by moving the sliders up and down. Plenty of options for correcting colors, gamma and picture alignment.

limitations/issues:
* It seems to autodetect on which port a monitor is connected, DVI or VGA. It doesn't output on both, when DVI is connected it automaticly chooses that over VGA.
* VGA inport is probably not intended for computer monitor use. No signal there.
* Ikaruga tate mode: Picture isn't scaled on the width to fit the screen. Instead some of the left and right is cut. Maybe there is a solution in the maze of japanese menus ?
* Getting the picture to stretch over 100% of the monitor surface seems impossible.

The XRGB-3 feels like a quality product but I need more time for testing and for figuring out the japanese menus Please reply if you have any experience and information that might help. If you know japanese, can you please translate some of the essential parts ?

Thanks for the XRGB-3 review, and do you have an earlier released XRGB upscan convertor as well: the XRGB-1, XRGB-2 or the XRGB-2+ versions?

I have the XRGB-2 which seems that with some fellow shmuppers, it tends to have problems with the "On/Off power switch" or some other internal problem that can't be fixed (unless sent in directly to Microcom for repairs).

And what are the dimensions of this new fangled XRGB-3 in USA measurements?

No I don't have the XRGB2 or + so I can't compare features. But from what I have heard it's very much like the XRGB2+ except that it has a new DVI port and support for HD TVs. The "On/Off" power switch is working fine on both the unit and the remote. Though you have to hold it in for a while.

The dimensions are probably somewhat bigger than the previous models. It has to be. They just add ports, never remove any. I can get back to you on dimensions but they'll be in metric

I will take some shots of the menusystem and post them here. Anyone who feels up to it can translate.

Translation by fubarduck, may not be copied or reproduced in ANY way without credit!

That having been said, hope that helps man. It looks like a ton of useful settings have been added since the XRGB-2 series.

In exchange for helping with this, would you mind hooking this up to your LCD HDTV and letting us know if you are forced to play games stretched in HD resolution, or if the "Normal" or "Automatic" settings under "Aspect" allow you to play the games in a normal 4:3 window while your TV is stretching the image? Thanks a lot for your quick review, hope to keep hearing great things about it.

Thanks for the XRGB-3 review, and do you have an earlier released XRGB upscan convertor as well: the XRGB-1, XRGB-2 or the XRGB-2+ versions?

I have the XRGB-2 which seems that with some fellow shmuppers, it tends to have problems with the "On/Off power switch" or some other internal problem that can't be fixed (unless sent in directly to Microcom for repairs).

And what are the dimensions of this new fangled XRGB-3 in USA measurements?

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

The measurements are the exact same as the XSelect-D4 unit.
Length- 11.5'' or 29cm
Height- 2'' or 5cm
Depth/width- 5 & 1/8'' or 13cm

I've Had an Xrgb-2 for 6 years and havn't had any problems with the power button. The Xrgb-2+, Xrgb-3, and Xselect-D4 all use a soft power up method so it's probably different (more stable??) than the one for the Xrgb-2. The only product I don't have is the Xrgb-1, so I wouldn't be able to tell you the differences. I just got my Xrgb-3 in today, so far it just seems like a combination of the functions from the Xrgb-2+ and the XSelect-D4. Although, the on screen text looks a lot more steady than they did on the Xrgb-2+. It seems like they fixed the jaggy text problem that plagued the 2+.

Here are a couple of screenshots showing the different combinations of aspect modes, FZero GX and XRGB-3. Hope this answers your question. What exactly are you trying to figure out anyway ? I'm happy if the picture is FZeroWide and XRGB-3 in 4:3. Is this not possible on previous versions ?

Sorry, but I looked over the rest and it's way too blurry for me to read it. If you wouldn't mind taking some larger and clearer pictures, I'll gladly finish the translation.

As for my question, I don't think you understood quite what I was asking, but your screenshots answered my question.

It looks like (unfortunately) that you're unable to play normal aspect (4:3) games in a 4:3 window when the XRGB-3 upscans them to High Definition resolutions on an HDTV. Even with your XRGB-3 in "Normal" mode and the game set to "normal" mode, the image is stretched. Unless there's a setting hidden somewhere that we haven't gotten to yet, it may not be possible to accomplish this.

Since a lot of us want to hook up old-school systems with 4:3 games to our HDTVs through the XRGB-3, this is quite a disappointment! Of course, a patch is always possible. The update on Micomsoft's Web site apparently adds a line doubler for 480p output capabilities a-la the XRGB-2+ (which would allow you to play your games unstretched, but not in high def). Ideally there will be a bright future with this device via the firmware updates!

I hope everyone finds the translation useful . . . I'll be able to finish it on Sunday or Monday once I have some clearer snapshots.

Fubar, I don't know if this makes a difference, as I don't have a HDTV, but perhaps changing the resolution output on the XRGB-3 can fix the stretching effect on 16:9 displays. Try running it at 1600x1200 output? I have no way of testing this, as I play on a 24'' wide Sony CRT monitor. By the way, thanks for the translation of that on screen menu!

I understand what you mean now. However my TVs native resolution is 1024x768, that's a 4:3 resolution. And that is the resolution that looks best using it as a computer monitor. It only handles aspects differently when using the SCART or RF for TV, DVD and such. I'm not sure if all HDTVs are like this, maybe new HDTVs can do aspects with HDMI input?